Surry Hills

Surry Hills is an inner-east suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It lies just south-east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the City of Sydney local government area. The area is bordered by Elizabeth Street, Chalmers Street, Cleveland Street, South Dowling Street, and Oxford Street.

Surry Hills is surrounded by several other suburbs: Darlinghurst to the north, Chippendale and Haymarket to the west, Moore Park and Paddington to the east, and Redfern to the south. Crown Street runs through the suburb and is known for its many restaurants, pubs, and bars. Central, a locality near Central station, is found in the north-west part of Surry Hills.

The area is also home to Prince Alfred Park. Nearby localities include Strawberry Hills, around Cleveland and Elizabeth Streets, and Brickfield Hill to the east. Surry Hills has a rich cultural history and is well-known for its strong ties to the Portuguese community in Sydney.

History

The first land grants in Surry Hills were made in the 1790s. Major Joseph Foveaux received a large piece of land called Surry Hills Farm, named after the Surrey Hills in England. A street, Foveaux Street, is named after him. Another person, Commissary John Palmer, also received land and called his property George Farm.

In the early 1800s, the area was mostly undeveloped and considered remote. A few large homes were built, and the area had a mix of wealthy and working-class residents. A cemetery was established in 1820 and later moved to make way for a train station that opened in 1906.

From the 1850s, many small houses and workshops were built, and the area became a place where many workers lived. After World War II, many new families moved to Surry Hills because it was affordable. Starting in the 1980s, the area changed again as older buildings were restored, and many new, well-off residents moved in.

Trams

Main articles: Trams in Sydney and Public transport in Sydney

A tram line ran through Surry Hills from 1881. It started at West Kensington and went down Crown Street to Cleveland Street, then continued along several other streets until it reached its final stop in 1937. The part along Crown Street closed in 1957, and the rest of the line stayed open until 1961. Today, some bus routes follow a similar path down Crown and Baptist Streets.

Urban character

Surry Hills is a mix of places where people live, work, and make things. It is a key spot for selling clothes in bulk, especially on the west side. The area is also home to many people who identify as LGBTQIA+, and it hosts Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (Pride Parade) each year.

Every first Saturday of the month, markets fill Shannon Reserve at the corner of Crown and Collins Streets. The Surry Hills Festival happens once a year and draws many visitors to Ward Park, Shannon Reserve, Crown Street, and Hill Street. The Surry Hills Library and Community Centre, located across from Shannon Reserve, includes a local branch of the city library and the Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre.

In popular culture

Literature

The Harp in the South is a novel by Ruth Park. Published in 1948, it shows the life of a Catholic Irish-Australian family in Surry Hills when it was a crowded city area. A sequel, Poor Man's Orange, came out in 1949.

Transport

Central railway station, the largest station on the Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink networks, is located on the western edge of Surry Hills. The area is also served by buses from Transdev John Holland and Transit Systems. The Eastern Distributor is a major road on the eastern edge of the suburb, with other important streets including Crown Street, Cleveland Street, Bourke Street, and Foveaux Street. Surry Hills is within easy walking distance of the Sydney CBD and is part of a growing network of cycleways.

Construction on the Surry Hills section of the CBD and South East Light Rail caused some disruption to local businesses. The new light rail service opened in 2019, running between Circular Quay and Randwick, with a stop on Devonshire Street near Ward Park and Riley Street in Surry Hills. In 2020, a second service began running between Circular Quay and Kingsford.

Places of worship

Surry Hills has many places where people can worship and practice their faith. Some of these include the Chinese Presbyterian Church, Christian Israelite Church, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, and Self-Realization Fellowship Sydney Centre. There are also mosques like the Dawn of Islam Mosque and King Faisal Mosque, as well as churches such as St Francis De Sales Catholic Church, St Michael's Anglican Church, and St Peter's Catholic Church.

Other spots for worship include the Surry Hills Baptist Church, Vine Church, and the Sydney Streetlevel Mission run by The Salvation Army. There is also a Buddhist Temple located at 117 Albion Street and a deconsecated Methodist church known as The Kirk. Additionally, Heritage-listed St David's Hall on Arthur Street is also located in the area.

Landmarks

Surry Hills is full of interesting places to see and visit. You can explore parks like Prince Alfred Park & Swimming Pool and Harmony Park, or check out important buildings such as the Sydney Police Centre and the Centennial Plaza. There are also special theatres like the Belvoir Street Theatre and Tom Mann Theatre, as well as crossings like the Rainbow Crossing in Taylor Square.

• Sydney Police Centre
• Centennial Plaza
• Belvoir Street Theatre
• Prince Alfred Park & Swimming Pool
• Tom Mann Theatre
• Harmony Park
• Ward Park, Devonshire Street
• Rainbow Crossing, Taylor Square
• Surry Hills Library and Community Centre, Crown Street
• The Kirk, Cleveland Street

Surry Hills has many cafes and restaurants with foods from all over the world. It is one of the places in Sydney with the most restaurants. Famous local chefs include Andrew Cibej and Bill Granger.

Because of its history, Surry Hills has many pubs. These pubs have different styles, from older Victorian designs to Art Deco buildings from the mid-1900s. Many of these pubs have been updated with new restaurants and modern features.

Surry Hills has several important historic buildings. Some of these are listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register, such as terrace cottages on Albion Street, Durham Hall, and the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church.

The following buildings were once listed on the Register of the National Estate:

• Bourke Street Public School, established in 1880
• Children's Court, Albion Street
• Former Police Station, 703 Bourke Street (designed by Walter Liberty Vernon)
• Former Wesleyan Chapel, 348A Bourke Street
• Riley Street Infants School, 378–386 Riley Street
• Society of Friends Meeting House, Devonshire Street
• St David's Hall, Arthur Street
• St Michael's Anglican Church, hall and rectory, Albion Street

Housing

Surry Hills has many beautiful old houses from the Victorian era, called terraced houses. There are also some public housing units west of Riley Street. Some old buildings that were once hospitals, like Crown Street Hospital and St. Margaret's, have been turned into homes.

Schools

Surry Hills is home to several schools, including Bourke Street Public School, Crown Street Public School, Inner Sydney High School, Sydney Community College, Sydney Boys High School, and Sydney Girls High School. The Australian Institute of Music also has its Sydney Campus in this area.

Some of these schools have interesting histories. For example, Cleveland Street Intensive English High School used to be located where Inner Sydney High School now stands.

Parks

Prince Alfred Park is the largest park in Surry Hills. Other important parks include Wimbo Park, Ward Park, Harmony Park, and Shannon Reserve. There are also many smaller parks and reserves in the area. Inside Prince Alfred Park, there is a pool that was refreshed and reopened in 2013.

Population

Surry Hills is a mix of new, wealthy residents and long-time neighbors. In 2021, the suburb had a population of 15,828 people.

Most homes in Surry Hills are apartments, with only a small number being separate houses. The area is known for its higher income levels and diverse backgrounds, with people from many countries living there. Many residents walk or use public transport to get to work, and a large number work from home. The suburb also has fewer people who follow traditional religions compared to the rest of Australia.

Notable people

Surry Hills has been home to many well-known people over the years.

Jimmy Hannan, a popular radio and television host, lived there. Singer and actress Jessica Mauboy was born in Surry Hills. Author Ruth Park lived there and set her first book, The Harp in the South, in the area. Poet Kenneth Slessor wrote many poems inspired by Surry Hills and nearby places. Actress Catherine Sutherland and cricketer and television host Mike Whitney also called Surry Hills home. Artist Brett Whiteley had a studio there, which is now known as the Brett Whiteley Studio.